News and PR

In the world of mobile gadgets and accessories, it doesn't take much these days to start the rumor mill turning. So when Motorola advisor Guy Kawasaki made a Google+ post last week about a customizable car, the internet naturally started speculating about what that could mean regarding the rumored upcoming Google-Motorola X Phone.

The one line post, which reads, "Wouldn't it be great if you could personalize your phone like this," has prompted many to wonder whether the X Phone will itself be customizable. (The X Phone hasn't yet been officially announced, by the way.)

Some are really running with the rumor. AndroidAndMe posited that "customers will be able to customize their devices," choosing their color, as well as "some of the hardware specs like RAM and internal storage."

Going even further, AndroidAndMe proposes the possibility that the X Phone won't just be one smartphone, but an entire line, designed to compete with Samsung's Galaxy brand.

So, is this taking Kawasaki's Tweet way too far? Maybe so and maybe not. As CNET points out:

"Surely, the timing of Kawasaki's comments is not coincidental. Or is it? In the age of Reddit and Internet trolling, I begrudgingly must reserve some skepticism for the rumor. Is Guy having a bit of fun with his fan base or is he legitimately gauging public interest?"

If there's truth to the speculation, this could be a major follow-up to Google's previous smartphone offering, the more or less standard Nexus 4. But we'll probably find out for sure soon enough. As CNET notes, "should there be fire behind the smoke, this is the sort of rumor that won't be contained for long."

Leaked screen shot of what is allegedly Samsung's answer to Apple's iWatch

With smear campaigns and even legal drama, Apple and Samsung have been at war for some time now. And with a new Samsung phone accessory in development, we know exactly where the next battle will be fought.

According to Bloomberg, the company is working on a smart watch that could rival the iWatch, a new Apple accessory that's also reportedly in development. And the potential for cut-throat competition between the two companies is already a hot topic, with the Wall Street Journal calling this their "next battleground" and 9to5Mac quipping "the smart watch race is on."

One of the alleged screen shots of Samsung's upcoming smart watch hints at features and a Galaxy name

Samsung has actually confirmed they're working on this fun gadget, but they haven't really revealed anything about it. Still, there's speculation that it may be marketed as part of Samsung's Galaxy line. "One would think that a product like this would fall under the Galaxy naming scheme and be called something like the “Galaxy Watch,” writes MobileSyrup.

Meanwhile, leaked screen shots obtained by Slashgear that puportedly show the device back that assumption up, with a view of the watch face displaying the name Samsung Galaxy Altius.

Even though we don't know much yet about the upcoming device, if we judge by existing smart watches, like the Pebble or Sony's SmartWatch, we can make a few assumptions.

Samsung's smart watch will most likely be a bluetooth-enabled accessory that allows you to view updates and notifications from your phone, and will probably also include features like an actual clock, a calendar and music player.

Beyond that, it's hard to say. But since the smart watch market is looking a lot like an arms race these days, it's likely that this next Samsung phone accessory surpasses the Samsung-compatible Sony SmartWatch in terms of features. In any case, it'll have to, if Samsung wants to stand a chance in its next bout with Apple.

We've been hearing rumblings and rumors about a new Galaxy phone from Samsung for months now. But nothing really solid has come of it, until now. Like right now. This morning, at Mobile World Congress, Samsung's mobile division chief J.K. Shin told Edaily that the SamsungGalaxy S4 will launch March 14.

Here's what he said:

"We introduced the Galaxy S3 in London last year, and this time we changed the venue (to New York)... as we were bombarded with requests from U.S. mobile carriers to unveil the Galaxy S4 in the country."

So it's official, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is coming in less than a month. However, Shin fell short of saying anything about its specs or design.

Still, at least we have the good old cell phone accessories industry to help us out in that department. Business Insider reported last week on some leaked pictures of what are supposedly Galaxy S4 carrying cases.

Leaked pics of Galaxy S4 cases may reveal what the latest Galaxy phone looks like before its big unveiling

If the pictures (and Mobile Fun, the site which first revealed them) can be trusted, the Galaxy S4 is shaping up to be a bigger than the Galaxy S3, with a 5 inch screen like that of the Galaxy Note.

Otherwise, notes SlashGear, "there’s the usual Samsung layout of a headphone jack up top, lock and volume keys on the side, and a charging/syncing port on the bottom, presumably microUSB. A hole for the microphone is alongside it."

Still, we can't totally rely on Mobile Fun, since, like the rest of us, they've yet to actually see the latest Galaxy in Samsung's lineup. But at least we won't have to wait too long, since the Galaxy S4's big reveal is less than a month away.

We're already well acquainted with HTC's One X and One S phones, but yesterday, as CNet joked, the company unveiled "One phone to rule them all." Just to be clear, that's the HTC One, no additional letter required.

This latest HTC flagship device may only have been unveiled 24 hours ago, but already the opinions, reviews and hype are adding up to a potential blockbuster for HTC.

Gizmodo quipped that it's "exactly how you're supposed to build a phone," highlighting not only the device's sleek, lightweight design but also its top of the line screen and its interface which, though this is an Android phone, has some similarities to a Windows Phone.

Let's talk about the looks: at 4.7 inches in size The HTC One boasts a beautiful and sleek aluminum body that's lightweight with a slight curve on the back. Its Gorilla glass 2 screen, according to Gizmodo, "is gorgeous." With a resolution of 1,920 × 1,080 and pixel density of 468ppi, we'd have to agree that it's one of the best out there right now.

On the inside of this Android-powered beauty is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 1.7 gigahertz quad-core processor, with 2GB of RAM and a 2,300 mAh embedded battery.

Another feature everyone seems really excited about is the HTC One's cameras. The Front-facing one is fairly standard at 2.1 MP, but the rear-facer, though only 4 MP, is totally unique.

As Engadget notes, "before you go apoplectic with rage – the company's magical new imaging technology means that the One's 4-megapixel sensor isn't the slap in the face with a wet fish you'd assume it to be." Rather, as CNet reports, he camera will better pick up light and will work better in the dark than rival smartphone cameras such as the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S III."

Another nice thing about the new camera on the HTC One is its "Zoe" picture feature, which lets you take photos as short video clips, with the camera actually starting a second before you press the button and continuing for three more seconds.

"By scrolling through the photo gallery, shots come alive like something out of 'Harry Potter'," writes CNet. "In addition, collections of photos from a specific event are automatically collected and joined with music to create 'Zoe Highlight' videos."

Like previous flagship phones, the HTC One also integrates Beats audio technology, and it's got dual front-facing "Boom Sound" speakers for a pretty great video-watching experience.

We'll definitely be keeping our eye on the HTC One as it begins rolling out this March, and we can't wait to get our hands on one, or to start stacking up the accessories for the latest and probably best HTC phone to date.

Back in January, we at Pure Mobile were following all the hottest news in mobile accessories with the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show. And among the emergent trends was an iPhone case that was as nostalgic as it was novel.

Mobile accessories maker Smallworks showed off a series of LEGO iPhone cases they had in the works, including some elaborate models, like space ships and dinosaurs.

But another mobile accessories label, Belkin, also had their own LEGO-themed buildable iPhone cases out on display. And this week, they've officially announced a licensing deal with LEGO, meaning the little plastic building toys of our childhood will very soon be making their way onto our iPhone cases.

Excited yet?

Well, you should be, because the this promises to be one of the coolest iPhone cases in years, especially since you should be able to totally customize them with compatible LEGO pieces.

No word yet though on how functional or shock absorbant they'll be. And we doubt they'll be able to rival the likes of Griffin or OtterBox's full-protection models. But still, we find the kid in us sort of wins out over the practical adult, and the cool factor of these LEGO iPhone cases alone is bound to be worth something to anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s.

For most of us in North America, BlackBerry's latest and hottest phone isn't even available yet. The company only unveiled their new all-touch Z10 device last week, but already there are signs that the smartphone (a total redesign for BlackBerry) could be worthy of the hopes the company has been pinning on it.

With the Z10 first released U.K., the response and early sales of the device already has the company beaming with pride. The company's U.K. Managing Director Stephen Bates told TechCrunch this week that some U.K. retailers have sold out within just days of the new BlackBerry's launch:

"The response we’ve seen exceeded all of our launch partners’ expectations. Customers are choosing to buy the BlackBerry Z10 in large numbers [...] In fact some of our partners have told us that they sold out over the weekend in some of their key retail locations."

And though Bates didn't offer any specific figures on those sales, he did add "The partners’ call centres are also flooded with calls, as people phone to ask for more information about the device, and also where and how to buy it.”

Meanwhile, in Canada, where the Z10 isn't available yet but where several carriers have opened up pre-ordering for it, it's been pretty popular too. Canadian carrier Bell is even planning to open their stores early for the Z10's launch, expecting big numbers. And what's more, according to a CIBC analyst, more than half of the pre-orders for the new all-touch BlackBerry are coming from people who are "non-BlackBerry users."

If BlackBerry's really going to parley their shiny new all-touch device into a brand resurrection, that's the kind of response they're going to need, as satisfying existing BlackBerry users simply won't be enough to help them compete with the likes of Apple and Android.

As for the U.S., the BlackBerry Z10 has for a March release date scheduled. And, for the company's sake, we'd hope it meets with at least equal entusiasm as it's seen overseas and with our friends to the North.

We at Pure Mobile think there's a pretty good chance of that, and we're already lining up our BlackBerry accessories and fun gadgets in time to welcome its arrival. In the meantime, we'll be keeping you up to date as we check on BlackBerry's progress in what is definitely a new chapter for the longtime mobile underdog and would-be comeback kid.

Perhaps marking one of the most important milestones they've ever had, BlackBerry maker RIM held its long-anticipated BlackBerry Experience event today in Manhattan. As promised, the company unveiled its two newest BlackBerry phones, the BB10-powered Z10 and Q10 handsets.

But what's really got the mobile industry bubbling is the Z10, since it's the first ever BlackBerry phone without a physical QWERTY keyboard. "Gone is the impish keyboard, loved and loathed alike, to be replaced by the now ubiquitous display," writes the Huffington post, with one of their live bloggers at the event adding, "The handset looks impressive for the company's first major foray into the keyboard-less phone area."

After a few years lagging behind the likes of Android and Apple, BlackBerry 10 is being lauded as "RIM's latest, best comeback attempt," (BusinessWeek) and its star attraction is this glossy, sleek, new all touch phone. Oh, and by the way, it's not RIM anymore, it's just BlackBerry.

So, what, exactly was revealed today about the Z10, BlackBerry's great new hope?

For starters, its display has better resolution than that of the iPhone 5 (1280 x 768 vs. 1136 x 640.) Slim and sleek, it sports a 4.2" screen and boasts textured surface that's easy to grip feels good in hand.

And, as though to completely demolish the perception that BlackBerry's all about keypads and physical buttons, the new Z10 heavily stresses swiping rather than button pushing. You don't even have to push a button to turn it on, just swipe up!

But one of the best features of BB10, which applies to both the Z10 and QWERTY-touch Q10 phones, is the way it lets the user manage apps. All apps are integrated into the BlackBerry 10 "hub," so that app notifications and emails are easily accessed with a single swipe, even when another app is open. "You are only one swipe away from the heart of your activities," said CEO Thorsten Heins of this new innovation.

Already, the Z10 has been praised as "striking," "powerful," and "beautiful." And from what we've seen, we at Pure Mobile have to agree. Of course, the phone will only become available in the U.S. as of March. But if you're as excited as we are, hold tight, because we're already lining up accessories for BlackBerry Z10 in time for its release.

Google's CEO has been fuelling rumors of a Motorola-made shatter-proof Google X phone

According to some recent rumors, Google and Motorola may just be working on a phone that that can go without the usual protective cases and accessories.

Mashable reported recently on a rumored Motorola-made Google phone termed the Google X, which has been stirring up speculation since at the Wall Street Journal broached the topic this past fall. Still, there's been little information as to what the new phone's specs might be.

But in a recent interview with WIRED magazine, Google CEO Larry Page gave us a pretty fresh hint – the Google X may be unbreakable:

"There’s a lot of room for innovation in hardware [...] The phones we use now have glass that everyone worries will break if they drop the device. Five or 10 years from now, that will be different."

Needless to say, Page is a reliable source when it comes to what we can expect from a Google-backed phone. And some are positing theories that the Google X may sport a flexible display or may, at the very least, be shatter-proof.

"The benefits of a 'bendy' phone are questionable, but using a flexible display would result in a phone that's much more immune to shattering, unlike the relatively fragile touch screens of today," says Mashable.

If these theories hold any water, Google may have a product on its hands that doesn't even need the shock-absorption of a case. And while that's bound to make users happy, third-party accessories makers probably wouldn't be thrilled.

But all this is moot anyway, since Google hasn't officially confirmed the existence of the Google X, much less its design specs. Until they do, the talk of a case-less, shatter-proof, bendy Google phone will have to remain squarely in the realm of speculation.

BlackBerry's new BB10 phones, among them L-Series, were heavily leaked this week

So, there's still two weeks to go until BlackBerry officially unveils their two new BB10 phones, but after this week, is there really anything to show that we haven't already seen? Both the all-touch L-Series phone – also known as the Z10 – and their Qwerty/touch X10 popped up in leaks all over the place, leaving little to the imagination before the big reveal.

For starters, there was what Gizmodo called "the clearest shots yet of BlackBerry's great Qwerty hope," referring of course to the X10. Though there's only so much a picture can say about a device, the N-Series phone looks like a slicker, more modern update to the "conservative simplicity" that RIM's always excelled at, says Gizmodo.

As for the L-Series, we've already seen our fair share of pictures of the new all-touch BlackBerry phone, but this week revealed a couple of juicy details that were new to us at least.

A pretty thorough video demonstration of the Z10 and its features was posted online by German site TelekomPresse, and you can view it at the end of this post.

But just in case you were still hungry for hard facts, a leaked Rogers training manual – slides of which were secured by Techradar – has been making the rounds, revealing the actual specs behind BlackBerry's first all-touch phone.

If the leak is to be trusted, the L-Series will sport a 4.2" high-def screen (1200 x 768 pixels), an 8 MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. It features 2GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage, and will be powered by a Snapdragon processor.

Now, all that remains is to learn the release date for the new BlackBerry phones, which we should find out at RIM's BB10 event, scheduled for January 30.

This wouldn't be the first time, but The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported yesterday on a rumor that Apple is at work on a new iPhone that's cheaper than the current models.

According to the report, the cheaper iPhone that Apple is supposedly developing would answer to the fact the company is under increasing pressure to make a more affordable device in the face of "an onslaught of lower cost rivals powered by Google Inc.'s Android operating system," which are snapping up more and more of the market.

Citing "people briefed in the matter," the report says that the lower-priced iPhone would look more or less like the standard iPhone but would forego the iPhone 5's aluminum backing for a cheaper polycarbonate shell. And on the inside, the rumored smartphone would have some recycled parts from older iPhone models.

True, as the WSJ's Digits noted, even older versions, like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, are pretty steep without carrier subsidies. "The iPhone 4 without a contract, a phone two generations old, for example, costs $450 on Apple’s store," writes Digits.

But even coming from the WSJ, others warn not to read too much into this rumor. There was similar speculation as far back as February 2011, and nothing ever came of it.

In tackling the reasons we should be skeptical, Gizmodo probably put it best:

Is Apple working on prototypes made from cheaper materials? I'm sure it is. It's also working on prototypes with more expensive materials, and has been exploring both since the very first iPhone came out. But why would Apple sell an iPhone with iPhone 4S parts when it already sells the iPhone 4S? Why make an iPhone 5 out of cheaper materials when in less than a year's time the iPhone 5 will be discounted heavily to make way for a shiny new iPhone 6 (or 5S, or whatever)?

Nevermind that you can actually buy a cheap iPhone 4S through the Apple store already, or get a free iPhone with a contract. In other words, you can hope and pray for a new, lower-priced iPhone – just don't hold your breath.